White House, Pentagon Officials Kept in the Dark for Days About Defense Secretary’s Hospitalization
The Pentagon’s failure to disclose Mr. Austin’s hospitalization for days reflects a stunning lack of transparency about his illness, how serious it was and when he may be released.
Senior Biden administration leaders, top Pentagon officials and members of Congress were unaware for days that Defense Secretary Austin had been hospitalized since Monday, officials said Saturday, as questions swirled about his condition and the secrecy surrounding it.
The Pentagon did not inform the White House National Security Council or top adviser Jake Sullivan of Mr. Austin’s hospitalization at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center at Bethesda, Maryland, until Thursday, according to two administration officials.
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